On Thursday, the new trailer for Warner Bros.' upcoming film "King Richard" debuted, a biopic about Richard Williams, the father and coach of Serena and Venus Williams. A synopsis for the film refers to as one "that will inspire the world" and describes it as one that "follows the uplifting journey of a family whose unwavering resolve and unconditional belief ultimately delivers two of the world’s greatest sports legends."
The trailer noticeably includes a new song from Beyoncé, "Be Alive," leading Justin Curto to declare for Vulture on Thursday that "[t]he 2022 Beyoncé Oscar campaign begins today." Should the pop star be nominated for an Oscar for Best Song, it would be her first. Curto also noted that it Will Smith is already expected to be a contender for Best Actor.
Andrea Towers detailed for Entertainment Weekly how Beyoncé's collaboration came to be:
According to Smith, Beyoncé's collaboration came about after a screening of the film, where Smith tells EW the sisters inspired the singer — a superstar in her own right — to contribute a song.
"The marriage of a movie and a song is a kind of magic that's unmatched in entertainment," Smith says. "I was so happy when Beyoncé called."
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The new tune, which was written to accompany the closing credits, is a powerful Beyoncé ballad that feels similar in sound to the songs on her last solo album, 2016's Lemonade.
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The real Serena and Venus Williams have a hand in being executive producers for "King Richard," as does their sister, Isha Price.
The film comes to theaters on November 19 and will also be available on HBO Max for a month after the theatrical release.
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